Pub Date
31 May 2018

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Pub Date
31 May 2018

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Description

The church stands firm against culture on many issues of
sexuality . . . but misses this one!

Society says we are merely sexual beings and should embrace
this, and in the church we use this same view as an excuse to distrust and
avoid each other! We shy away from healthy friendship, and even our siblingshipin Christ, in the name of purity
and reputation . . . but is this what we are called to do?

Aimee Byrd reminds us that the way to stand against culture
is not by allowing it to drive us apart—it is by seeking the brother-and-sister
closeness we are privileged to have as Christians. Here is a plan for true,
godly friendship between the sexes that embraces the family we truly are in
Christ and serves as the exact witness the watching world needs.

The church stands firm against culture on many issues of
sexuality . . . but misses this one!

Society says we are merely sexual beings and should embrace this, and in the church we use this same...

Description

The church stands firm against culture on many issues of
sexuality . . . but misses this one!

Society says we are merely sexual beings and should embrace
this, and in the church we use this same view as an excuse to distrust and
avoid each other! We shy away from healthy friendship, and even our siblingshipin Christ, in the name of purity
and reputation . . . but is this what we are called to do?

Aimee Byrd reminds us that the way to stand against culture
is not by allowing it to drive us apart—it is by seeking the brother-and-sister
closeness we are privileged to have as Christians. Here is a plan for true,
godly friendship between the sexes that embraces the family we truly are in
Christ and serves as the exact witness the watching world needs.

Advance Praise

“With this book, Aimee Byrd has done a great service to the
church. At a time when society at large is questioning the meaning of
friendship in general and the legitimacy of friendship between men and women,
Aimee challenges her readers to test their responses and determine whether they
are dictated by Scriptures or by culture and tradition. The answers might
surprise you.

Read this book even if you think you are already the best of
friends. You will find many unexpected questions and insightful recommendations.
If you have children, it will help you to establish in them, from an early age,
good habits of friendship and sibling relationships.”

—Simonetta Carr,
Author, Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Themand
the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series

“Jesus was willing to break through ethnic, political,
religious, and gender barriers like a wrecking ball. There was not a man-made
obstacle to forgiveness and spiritual growth that he would allow to stand in
his way. Aimee Byrd’s book on friendship will be a rich resource for believers
to consider how they might follow in Jesus’ steps. Read it to help you think,
reflect, and develop personal convictions for Jesus-centered relationships.”

—Dan DeWitt,
Director, Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity, and
Associate Professor, Applied Theology and Apologetics, Cedarville University

“Aimee Byrd’s thought-provoking treatment of cross-gender
friendship in the family of God is at once rich biblical theology and piercing
cultural critique. Eschewing the reductionistic, fear-based, and eroticized
views of the other sex that too often typify even those within the church, she
answers the question “Can men and women live as sacred siblings in the church?”
with an emphatic “Yes, they can—and they must!” . . . if we are to truly follow
in the footsteps of our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.”

“Aimee has not written a rule book full of dos and don’ts for
friendships between women and men in the church. She has not drawn a neat
little diagram of what is and isn’t allowed. What she has done is to give men
and women of faith a book that answers the question of whythere should be vibrant
friendships between male and female siblings in Christ; and, in doing so, she
gives us the tools to decide how this will be accomplished in a God-honoring
way. Beginning at the heart of our identity as children of God, Aimee builds a
strong case for why our current approach to male/female friendships misses the
heart of what God has for his children.”

—Jasmine Holmes,
Blogger, jasminelholmes.com

“To be honest, I hate that this book had to be written. But
since it is undeniably necessary, I am so thankful that Aimee Byrd took up the
task. She writes not merely from experience but with a deep theological
orientation and informed pastoral concerns. She reminds Christians to be less
influenced by When Harry Met Sally...than
they are by Jesus and Paul.

Too often as Christians we actually sound no different from
non-Christians in our assumptions. Why can’t we—as the household of God—be
courageous in our concern, affectionate in our love, and wise in our practices?
Rather than being driven by fear, let’s follow biblical expectations for what
it means to be in the family of God.

Thankfully, Aimee calls us to be faithful siblings who are
soaked in the love of the Father, strengthened by Christ our elder brother, and
empowered in the Spirit of holiness. By God’s grace, let us learn to live more
like a healthy family.”

“The apostle Paul never called his closest associates
“friends”; they were brothers and sisters in Christ. Expanding on his insight,
Aimee Byrd explains friendship between males and females in the church as a
sacred-siblings calling to love, sanctification, and celebration. Too many
people today guard their hearts with rules motivated by fear, concern for
reputation, or gross misunderstandings of who we are instead of by theology. Why Can’t We Be
Friends?ushers us into the deep spaces of
Christian theology in a way that rearranges our relationships. If we will be
siblings in the kingdom, it’s time we accepted our future for the sake of our
present. This is the best book I have seen on this subject.”

“Have you ever wondered whether there’s more that God
intended for men and women to experience in their friendships with one another
this side of heaven? With winsome candor, extensive research, and a vibrant
love for the church, Aimee Byrd urges readers to confront the stereotypes that
limit friendship between men and women by seeking above all else to promote holinessin one another. Her words awaken
a desire to richly enjoy the brother/sister relationships to which our elder
brother, Christ, calls us. Her life bears this out. Thank you, Aimee, for such
a courageous and timely gift to the church!”

“In our hyper-sexualized culture, there is a very real danger
that the church will unconsciously allow the world to set her priorities, if
only by way of overreaction, and will thereby ironically lose sight of
important aspects of biblical teaching. Nowhere is this more likely than in the
sphere of relationships between the sexes. Thus, Aimee Byrd’s plea for a
recovery of such friendships in the church, through the rediscovery of the
significance of the biblical use of sibling language, is timely. The church is
to be a place of love and hospitality where we are to take seriously the
transformation of our identities in Christ. A provocative but irenic breath of
fresh air on a contentious topic, this book shows how we can and should do
that. Highly recommended.”

—Carl R. Trueman,
William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in Religion and Public Life, Princeton
University; Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College

“Too often, Christians swear allegiance to the cultural
belief that platonic relationships between the sexes are unthinkable. In the
interest of avoiding adultery at all costs, we segregate men and women from one
another within the church. But one anotheris
precisely what we lose when this is the case. Aimee Byrd calls us back to the
Bible’s vision of believers as the family of God—a family of spiritual brothers
and sisters who actually believe they are capable of and called to loving one anotherdeeply, from the heart (see 1
Peter 1:22). I can’t think of a more countercultural message or a more
compelling witness to the gospel than a church marked by men and women who
trade the fear of adultery for the freedom of appropriate sibling friendships
as they partner to advance the kingdom. Aimee shows us this better way.”

—Jen Wilkin, Bible
Teacher; Author, Women of the Wordand None Like Him

“With this book, Aimee Byrd has done a great service to the church. At a time when society at large is questioning the meaning of friendship in general and the legitimacy of friendship between men...

Advance Praise

“With this book, Aimee Byrd has done a great service to the
church. At a time when society at large is questioning the meaning of
friendship in general and the legitimacy of friendship between men and women,
Aimee challenges her readers to test their responses and determine whether they
are dictated by Scriptures or by culture and tradition. The answers might
surprise you.

Read this book even if you think you are already the best of
friends. You will find many unexpected questions and insightful recommendations.
If you have children, it will help you to establish in them, from an early age,
good habits of friendship and sibling relationships.”

—Simonetta Carr,
Author, Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Themand
the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series

“Jesus was willing to break through ethnic, political,
religious, and gender barriers like a wrecking ball. There was not a man-made
obstacle to forgiveness and spiritual growth that he would allow to stand in
his way. Aimee Byrd’s book on friendship will be a rich resource for believers
to consider how they might follow in Jesus’ steps. Read it to help you think,
reflect, and develop personal convictions for Jesus-centered relationships.”

—Dan DeWitt,
Director, Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity, and
Associate Professor, Applied Theology and Apologetics, Cedarville University

“Aimee Byrd’s thought-provoking treatment of cross-gender
friendship in the family of God is at once rich biblical theology and piercing
cultural critique. Eschewing the reductionistic, fear-based, and eroticized
views of the other sex that too often typify even those within the church, she
answers the question “Can men and women live as sacred siblings in the church?”
with an emphatic “Yes, they can—and they must!” . . . if we are to truly follow
in the footsteps of our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.”

“Aimee has not written a rule book full of dos and don’ts for
friendships between women and men in the church. She has not drawn a neat
little diagram of what is and isn’t allowed. What she has done is to give men
and women of faith a book that answers the question of whythere should be vibrant
friendships between male and female siblings in Christ; and, in doing so, she
gives us the tools to decide how this will be accomplished in a God-honoring
way. Beginning at the heart of our identity as children of God, Aimee builds a
strong case for why our current approach to male/female friendships misses the
heart of what God has for his children.”

—Jasmine Holmes,
Blogger, jasminelholmes.com

“To be honest, I hate that this book had to be written. But
since it is undeniably necessary, I am so thankful that Aimee Byrd took up the
task. She writes not merely from experience but with a deep theological
orientation and informed pastoral concerns. She reminds Christians to be less
influenced by When Harry Met Sally...than
they are by Jesus and Paul.

Too often as Christians we actually sound no different from
non-Christians in our assumptions. Why can’t we—as the household of God—be
courageous in our concern, affectionate in our love, and wise in our practices?
Rather than being driven by fear, let’s follow biblical expectations for what
it means to be in the family of God.

Thankfully, Aimee calls us to be faithful siblings who are
soaked in the love of the Father, strengthened by Christ our elder brother, and
empowered in the Spirit of holiness. By God’s grace, let us learn to live more
like a healthy family.”

“The apostle Paul never called his closest associates
“friends”; they were brothers and sisters in Christ. Expanding on his insight,
Aimee Byrd explains friendship between males and females in the church as a
sacred-siblings calling to love, sanctification, and celebration. Too many
people today guard their hearts with rules motivated by fear, concern for
reputation, or gross misunderstandings of who we are instead of by theology. Why Can’t We Be
Friends?ushers us into the deep spaces of
Christian theology in a way that rearranges our relationships. If we will be
siblings in the kingdom, it’s time we accepted our future for the sake of our
present. This is the best book I have seen on this subject.”

“Have you ever wondered whether there’s more that God
intended for men and women to experience in their friendships with one another
this side of heaven? With winsome candor, extensive research, and a vibrant
love for the church, Aimee Byrd urges readers to confront the stereotypes that
limit friendship between men and women by seeking above all else to promote holinessin one another. Her words awaken
a desire to richly enjoy the brother/sister relationships to which our elder
brother, Christ, calls us. Her life bears this out. Thank you, Aimee, for such
a courageous and timely gift to the church!”

“In our hyper-sexualized culture, there is a very real danger
that the church will unconsciously allow the world to set her priorities, if
only by way of overreaction, and will thereby ironically lose sight of
important aspects of biblical teaching. Nowhere is this more likely than in the
sphere of relationships between the sexes. Thus, Aimee Byrd’s plea for a
recovery of such friendships in the church, through the rediscovery of the
significance of the biblical use of sibling language, is timely. The church is
to be a place of love and hospitality where we are to take seriously the
transformation of our identities in Christ. A provocative but irenic breath of
fresh air on a contentious topic, this book shows how we can and should do
that. Highly recommended.”

—Carl R. Trueman,
William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in Religion and Public Life, Princeton
University; Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College

“Too often, Christians swear allegiance to the cultural
belief that platonic relationships between the sexes are unthinkable. In the
interest of avoiding adultery at all costs, we segregate men and women from one
another within the church. But one anotheris
precisely what we lose when this is the case. Aimee Byrd calls us back to the
Bible’s vision of believers as the family of God—a family of spiritual brothers
and sisters who actually believe they are capable of and called to loving one anotherdeeply, from the heart (see 1
Peter 1:22). I can’t think of a more countercultural message or a more
compelling witness to the gospel than a church marked by men and women who
trade the fear of adultery for the freedom of appropriate sibling friendships
as they partner to advance the kingdom. Aimee shows us this better way.”

—Jen Wilkin, Bible
Teacher; Author, Women of the Wordand None Like Him